Of Darkness
by Keep
Summary: Life after 5th year for Harry. He receives a present that may change his life forever, and not for the better. Will probably have a little romance later on, but for now it is mostly just life and the fight against Voldemort.
1. Summertime Blues

Disclaimer: This is for all the chapters. I don't own HP or anybody else from JKR. If only I did…

A/N: This story starts out as relatively normal, but I may turn it darker towards the end (which will be a long, long time from now). Also, I may have a romance later on, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Oblivious to the cold around him, Severus Snape stood silently in the shadows of Privet Drive. It was a very chilly night in mid-July, and the sun had set hours before he had even arrived at his post. He looked across the street, into the front windows of Number Four, home of the infamous Harry Potter. He looked up and down the street as he had done every few minutes for the last three hours. As before, there was no one to be seen. He couldn't feel any magic in the air around him, but was still not assured that no one else was present.

Suddenly Snape whirled around to face the silent person behind him. His wand drawn and senses completely alert, he was not prepared for what was in front of him. However, Severus Snape was not a man to be taken for as unprepared. Before any emotions could surface on his face, he schooled his features into a mask of apathy, though inside he was seething.

"What, may I ask, inspired you to leave your safe haven? Surely house-watching is not a past-time of yours," he drawled smoothly into the night air.

Snape was talking to the air, or so it seemed. With a ripple in his line of vision, he was suddenly face to face with a very annoyed underage wizard.

"It may not be a past-time of mine, but surely babysitting the Boy Who Lived is not your favorite activity. Wouldn't you rather be coddling him as the rest of the wizarding world does? That seems to be a favorite among those who've met me, anyway," said Harry coolly. "Or are you once again under orders from a great wizard who has, for some reason, convinced every one of his followers that I need to be under supposedly covert supervision day and night? Because if that is the case, I'd just as soon invite you in to the warm, loving home that I share with these wonderful people. You may have heard some things about the Dursleys but I assure you, meeting them is an experience to remember."

Snape scowled menacingly at the boy. "How dare you speak to me in such a manner. You know perfectly well that I may not leave, no matter how enjoyable it is to stand in the dark for hours on end, ensuring your safety. He would have it no other way. We've said enough in the open air. Get inside before you're attacked again."

Harry didn't return the scowl, but stared at his Potions professor with cold, empty eyes. "What difference does it make if I am attacked? I'm the Boy Who Lived, remember? If I can survive the other great wizard of this century, surely I can hold off a few of your buddies. And besides, I have nothing to live for anyway."

Before Snape could respond, Harry was striding across the street. He was inside in seconds, the door making no sound when it shut. The professor watched through the front windows as Vernon Dursley heaved himself off the couch, his screaming voice carrying far past Severus' ears. Harry was going to be punished for entering his house, even though he hadn't made a sound. Just as he began to ponder why someone would react that way, he heard a small pop to his left. Wand out and ready for the second time in just a few minutes, he waited until Hestia Jones confirmed her identity with a secret password before Apparating to the seemingly peaceful town of Hogsmeade, which was reassuringly close to the safety of Hogwarts.

Harry stormed into the house, but was careful not to slam the door. He heard Vernon yell at him from the living room.

"Boy!" came the growl. Harry quickly folded up his invisibility cloak and tucked it safely under his arm.

"Boy! Come here – what do you think you're doing, storming into this house, making all that racket? We're trying to watch television, but with you clanging about my Dudley can't hear a word of his program. Go to your room, and don't come out for at least a fortnight. We'll see about food."

Harry wasn't disturbed by Vernon's typical outburst, but quickly climbed the stairs to avoid further wrath. He slipped into his room, shutting the door quietly behind him. He leaned against the back of the door, gathering his thoughts.

Snape had been watching him from across the street. He was wearing his own robes, which meant that at the very least he was there on behalf of Dumbledore. But that meant that they were watching him again, and still without his knowledge. Lot of good that had done last summer. Mundungus was nowhere to be found when Dementors had appeared on Privet Drive. Then again, it _was_ Dung. Still! Harry thought that the least Dumbledore could do was let him know that his every move was being monitored.

_Oh, what does it matter? Sirius is gone. The last of my family that actually loved me. Gone. _Harry felt a bout of anger coming on at the memories of Sirius, so he quickly cleared his mind to calm down. He paced the room for a few minutes, glancing occasionally at Hedwig's cage. He had sent her out a few days ago with replies to Ron and Hermione's latest letters. Hopefully she was just taking a break from the constant traveling, and nothing had happened.

Harry lay on his bed, hands behind his head. Sirius was gone, slain by the wand of Bellatrix Lestrange. That damn woman, Sirius' own cousin. But a Death Eater nonetheless. It was all his fault, Harry rationalized. If only he had been better at Occlumency, hadn't seen the memories in Snape's pensieve. He should have known that it was a trap. How dumb was he not to have realized that Voldemort would know about their connection, that he would exploit that option. Voldemort was evil – of course he would use any devious method available to try and trap Harry. And it had worked; Harry had taken the now obvious bait and was reeled in, inch by inch. And Bellatrix… Harry hadn't felt much of anything since Sirius' death, but he was filled to the brim with anger toward his godfather's cousin. All Death Eaters were the same. Except perhaps Snape, but Harry didn't quite know how to classify him. The Potions Master was a greasy git, and he had joined the Death Eaters like so many others. And yet, something had made him switch sides and become a spy for Dumbledore, who trusted him implicitly. Harry couldn't even begin to fathom what miraculous act Snape had performed to gain the Headmaster's trust.

His musings were interrupted by a fairly loud tapping noise at the window. He hurried to open it so he wouldn't disturb Vernon any further. Hedwig was outside as well as another, unfamiliar owl. They were both supporting a large picnic basket, and immediately flew to Harry's bed to set it down. Harry closed the window as the strange owl followed Hedwig to her cage. He pulled a package of owl treats from underneath his mattress and gave a few to both owls. After a minute of allowing Harry to pet both him and Hedwig, the other owl gave a soft hoot and flew over to sit on top of the basket.

"Oh, so you want me to open it, do you? If you insist," Harry whispered. He pulled his wand out of his waistband, just in case something was lurking inside. He doubted that very much as Hedwig had been helping to deliver it, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared. "Constant vigilance," he muttered with a small grin.

Slowly Harry unfastened the top of the basket, opening it just a little bit to make sure nothing was going to burst out at him. When he was certain it was safe, he fully opened the lid. The contents were wrapped in red cloth with gold trim, and there was a folded piece of paper sitting on top of it all. He picked up the note and sat down next to the basket to read.

_Harry,_

_Ron and Hermione mentioned that you didn't seem to be feeling your best, so I thought a bit of food might perk you up. Especially with the food those horrible Muggles must be feeding you. _

_Love,_

_Molly Weasley_

Mrs. Weasley's note struck a chord within him. The Dursley's hadn't fed him much of anything since he'd gotten home at the beginning of June. They rarely talked to him, let alone notified him of when meals were ready. The most conversation he'd had was when he was on the receiving end of Vernon's anger. Harry had been quite dejected since Sirius' death, and had no energy to argue with his uncle. He had taken to waking early in the mornings and going for long walks, returning home even before the Dursley's woke for the day. Occasionally Harry was around when they sat down for a meal, but even then he wasn't very hungry. The rest of his days were spent locked away in his room, rereading his old textbooks, attempting to glean any additional information that he might have missed during the year. (There was actually a lot Harry had missed, so it was just as well he had nothing else to do, as his summer homework was long completed.)

Suddenly feeling a bit of an appetite, Harry uncovered the contents of the basket. Mrs. Weasley must have charmed the basket to have an expanded interior because by the time he had completely emptied the basket his bed was covered in various foods. She had sent him mince pies, roasted chicken, salad, rolls, homemade fudge, treacle tart, pumpkin juice, and a small container of what looked to be marmalade. She had even included a packaged set of two plates, forks, knives, spoons, and glasses, along with a little note that told him they were self-cleaning. He repacked all of the food, leaving only a bit of treacle tart to nibble on, and hid the basket in his closet.

Harry pulled out a piece of parchment, his quill, and a small bottle of ink. Just as he set the quill to paper – _Dear Mrs. Weasley,_ - he heard another tap on the window. Looking out, he saw Ron's overexcited little owl, Pig. He opened the window and took the letter from the tiny owl. He reached for an owl treat, but before he could even retrieve one the small owl had zoomed out the window and disappeared into the night. Wondering where the little owl was off to in such a rush, Harry closed the window once more. He held the envelope in his hands, looking at Ron's messy handwriting scrawled across the front. He pulled the letter from within, hoping very much that it wasn't another one of his friends many attempts to cheer him up.

_Harry,_

_Hope you liked the basket Mum sent you. We didn't say anything to her, but she insisted on sending it anyway. Great news mate – Dumbledore said you can come and stay with us – finally! Hermione's not here, but she's going to come visit when you get settled in. It probably seems like forever, but we're going to get you on the 27th. Don't worry about the Muggles; Dumbledore's taking care of them. Also, this letter is charmed so that only you can read it, so don't worry about anyone knowing what's in here. Oh, and the new owl is Ginny's present for becoming a prefect; she named him Folly. See you soon!_

_Ron_

Harry was surprisingly cheerful after reading his friend's letter. Not only would he get to leave the Dursley's in 12 days' time, but he would get to stay at the Burrow for his birthday. All in all, this night was balancing out to be ok. He was still annoyed at learning that the Order was still watching him, and that Snape had been outside his home. It wasn't that bad, though; now he had treacle tart to nibble on.

He finished the quick thank you not to Mrs. Weasley, and sent it off with Folly after giving him another owl treat.

Harry sat cross-legged on his bed, nibbling on treacle tart, and thinking about his stay with the Weasleys, and how exciting it would be to play Quidditch in the back yard again. He couldn't wait to be back in the air – it made him feel more alive than anything else, and right about now he could use something really good in his life, even if it was only for a few moments. His excitement dissolved as he heard yet another tap on the window.

Heaving himself off the bed, Harry opened the window for a third time. Another unfamiliar owl flew in, bearing a letter as well as a small rectangular package. The owl let Harry take it's burden, and flew to Hedwig's cage to have a drink of water. The neat and precise writing on the letter told him immediately that the post was from Hermione. He decided to open the letter first because he was sure the package contained a book.

_Harry,_

_I'm so excited that you'll be going to the Burrow. I don't know if Ron mentioned it, but I'll be coming to visit for a bit, so I'll be there for your birthday! I thought you might be running out of things to do, so I sent a book I thought you might find interesting. I haven't read it, but it seemed to be informational, even though it didn't look like the most popular book on the shelf. You'll see what I mean when you open the package. I'm pretty sure you'll like it, but at the very least it's something to look over for the next few days._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

Harry wondered what book she could possibly have gotten him that would be informational yet interesting. He hadn't found a book like that yet, except for his book _Quidditch Through the Ages_. He opened the package with fervor, revealing a plain black cover. He pulled his wand from the waistband of his jeans just to be on the safe side, and as he did glittering silver letters spread across the cover revealing the title _Of Darkness_. He swept past the first few pages and began reading the introduction.

_In this world there is both darkness and light. The path one chooses is inherent, not of free will, and not influenced by our surroundings. Each of us is born with either predominantly light or dark tendencies. There is not good and evil in a soul, for those terms are relative. One can be considered good, but have "evil" tendencies. Light and dark encompass a much more generous range. To say that one is dark can mean that while a person has "good" ideals, they are inherently "evil", etc. Many have said that regardless of what seems natural to a person, the mind has a strong enough will to turn over a theoretical new leaf. While some would hold this as truth, it is not so. One is born either of darkness or of light, and nothing in life can redirect a person from that path._

Harry continued the introduction; his curiosity peaked by the strange book. He was about to go on to the first chapter when the last sentence caught his eye.

_Having said all this, one thing is certain: whosoever reads these pages is inherently of darkness, for no other could turn even one page._


	2. At the Burrow

A/N: These chapters may take a while to get out to you because I am the most procrastinating procrastinator ever. Sorry:) .

Harry froze. The book was telling him that to even turn the pages you had to be a dark wizard. Yet, he had turned them with no trouble at all. Before his mind could begin to process that implication, he wondered if Hermione had tried to read it at all. He hoped that she had just pulled it off the shelf, thinking it might make interesting reading. It didn't scare him, per se, but it definitely worried him to some extent.

He closed the book for the night, deciding that some things are better with time. Harry finished the last bit of treacle tart as he turned out the light and crawled into bed. He thought about the book some more and cam to a conclusion, of sorts. _It doesn't matter. Nothing matters anymore._

And with that he drifted off to a night filled with nightmares.

* * *

Harry spent the next eleven days studiously avoiding the book from Hermione. He wasn't afraid to read it, or even that he was _able_ to read it; however, he was very worried about what he might learn, and subsequently use. The days were long and boring, as Vernon hadn't ordered him to do any work over the summer. He reread his textbooks again and again, and was tempted every so often to pick up _Of Darkness_, but the thought that he had dark tendencies in him was enough to keep him from picking it up.

After what seemed like years, the day of the 27th finally came. Harry awoke at a surprisingly late 10:30 a.m. He went downstairs to get a bite to eat and discovered that the Dursley's were gone. He found a note on the kitchen table telling him that they would be gone all day, not to touch anything, and not to do anything that the neighbors would notice. _Well_, he thought. _Even if anything did happen, I won't be here for them to yell at._ This last thought cheered him up a great deal, even though he was already quite perky compared to his normal self as of late. He had waited until this morning to pack his trunk, but there wasn't very much to put away as he couldn't just leave his things laying about (and only so much could fit in the floor and closet). He got out his broom (which he hid under his blankets until it was time to go), and fed a few owl treats to Hedwig before lying down on his bed to wait. He didn't have long though, and at precisely 12:30 the doorbell rang. He brought his trunk and Hedwig's cage (he had let her out of his window, telling her to meet him at Ron's house) to the top of the steps and then bounded down to open the door, expecting to see Ron or one of the other Weasleys. Upon opening the door Harry saw an unfamiliar woman. The stranger wore a crisp black suit over her lean body, and her jet black hair was pulled back in a tight bun which rather reminded him of Professor McGonagall. She wore black sunglasses as well, which only added to her mysterious appearance.

"'Ello," She said in a very nasal cockney accent. "I'm 'ere to pick up one 'Arry Potter. That you?"

Harry stepped away from the door quickly, drawing his wand. "Who are you?" he said in a low, but forceful tone.

"Why 'Arry!" exclaimed the woman. "Let me give you a little 'int. If you'll just let me in, I can show you something you might recognize. Can't do it out 'ere though, what with the neighbors and all."

He stepped back, allowing her to enter, but kept his wand pointed at her. As soon as she was in the door her body began to change. Before he could even get out a stunning spell, he heard two words that stopped him from further action.

"Wotcher, Harry!" He growled at the words. "Tonks! I'm going to get you for that. You scared me half to death. I thought you were someone trying to kill me or something. You're going to regret it."

Tonks looked at him for a second, the glasses gone now, and her hair much shorter and spiked. "Well," she said thoughtfully. "Not as much as the Weasleys will."

He started to ask her what she was talking about when something struck him in the side. He turned to face through the front door, ready to hex the first person he saw when he realized that his side was wet. He hadn't felt any pain, and was trying to figure out what had hit him when he saw a flash of red hair and another something struck him, this time right on his midsection. They were water balloons.

"Weasley!" he shouted at the front lawn. "You will pay! Mark my words!" Before he could say anything more he was struck by three more water balloons. He quickly stepped back into the house, shutting the door as fast as he was able.

"Tonks! This isn't funny!" But as he said the words he couldn't help but laugh at the situation. He went to the kitchen and got a white napkin, and all the while Tonks staring at him, wondering what on earth he was doing. He grinned at her, and then opened the door. He stuck the napkin out first, waving it around for a good minute to make sure it was seen. Cautiously he opened the door further and peeked out. When nothing hit him he stepped all the way out onto the doorstep. For a few seconds he thought that they would come out, but then he was attacked with another barrage of balloons. "Enough!" he shouted to the lawn. "I give! Just come out already!."

The red heads of Fred, George, Ginny, and Ron suddenly appeared in front of him. "Aw, Harry. We were only getting started." This came from Fred.

"Yeah," said George. "Just wait until we're back at the Burrow. Then you're really in for it."

He grinned at them; happy to see people he knew, other than the Dursleys. "So," he said in an offhand manner. "Do I get to go to the Burrow yet, or are we going to stand here all day, making a show for the neighbors?"

"Well, Harry," said George. "I don't even see your trunk. Won't get very far without that, I imagine."

"And besides," added Fred. "What makes you think we want to be seen with some sopping wet boy wonder?"

Harry grinned at them. "It's your fault that I'm in this condition, mind you. You might watch what you say because when I get my revenge you won't know what hit you. And because it's you two, that's really saying something."

They just laughed, but he noticed that they had begun to edge away from him very slowly so that he wouldn't notice. "I'll be right back, I'm going to grab my trunk." Harry turned to go back up the stairs, but a quick shout from the twins stopped him. He looked at them questioningly. "Harry," they said simultaneously. Fred continued. "We're of age now. Don't even think about a silly little thing like manual labor." George laughed at this, adding "Muscles are attractive to the girls and all, but magic is so much more entertaining."

"Whatever you say, Mr.'s Weasley. Please, don't let me stand in your way." He mock-bowed to them and stood aside so they could see is trunk. They cast a quick levitation spell and his trunk and Hedwig's cage came floating down the stairs. His broom followed close behind, but Harry grabbed it out of the air, not trusting it to the twins' devices.

Once everything was out of the house and into the car that had been borrowed from the Ministry, everyone piled into the back seat letting the Ministry driver do his work. All in all there were six people inside the car, but it had been magically expanded to fit them comfortably. They chatted amicably about how their summer had been, and Harry was content to just listen to them. Sitting with them all on this relaxing ride didn't completely take away the ache he was feeling inside, but it helped considerably.

Before he knew it, they were pulling up in front of the Burrow, just outside of Ottery St. Catchpole. Everyone scrambled to get out of the car, anxious to get Harry unpacked so they could start a round of Quidditch. However, as soon as he stepped into the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley attacked him with a fierce hug. "Oh, Harry dear! We're all so glad that you can come and stay with us. I know it must have been awful staying with those Muggles. You poor boy!" Harry tried to escape her embrace, but she held on to him tightly.

"Really, Mrs. Weasley," he sputtered. "It wasn't that bad. And the food you sent was great. It made everything better." At this Mrs. Weasley finally released him, smiling broadly.

"Well dear, why don't you go unpack your things? Your trunk is up in Ron's room, and after you've finished you can head outside and do some flying. I'm sure it'll be very refreshing for you to get some Quidditch in, and it's especially beautiful out today."

He nodded to her with a small smile, and headed upstairs. Upon entering Ron's room he laid his broom on the bed Mrs. Weasley had made up for him, and turned to his trunk. He didn't really have much to unpack, so he sat on the bed waiting for Ron to come up as well. In a matter of minutes Ron was with Harry in what was to be their room for just over the next month. Harry stared at the posters of the Chudley Cannons all around is friend's walls, the players zooming around. "Let's go get some Quidditch in before dinner," said Harry finally. Ron just nodded, and they both headed downstairs after grabbing their brooms. They got Fred and George to play, and Ginny as well. The only problem was that now they were uneven.

"Charlie will be here in a few minutes," said Ginny, as a solution to this problem. "Mum said he'd be coming to visit for a few days. Bill's coming too, but not for another week or two." Ginny looked like she had more to say, but before she could get it out they heard a voice coming from the house. Soon after a very red head appeared and they shouted their greetings to their older brother.

"Hey guys! You look like you're ready for some Quidditch! Since I'm the oldest, I think it's only fair that I get to pick the teams." Charlie looked very excited to be playing Quidditch with them, so no one protested. "Alright, you lot, this is how we'll split up. Harry, Ron, and Fred, you're a team. Ginny and George, you're with me. This way we each have one Seeker, and one Beater, and one person, that'll be me and Ron, to play as Chaser and Keeper. Are you ready?"

Everyone was, so they quickly started their game. At first Harry's team seemed to be doing very well, but out of nowhere Ginny's side caught up to them, and soon the game was over. Ginny had won the game for her team, but Harry had been only seconds behind her when she grabbed the Snitch.

They all shouted at each other happily for a bit, but decided to head in and wash up before dinner. Ten minutes later they were all around the dinner table, with Mrs. Weasley placing numerous dishes before them. They dug in without hesitation, and were so involved that no one noticed Mr. Weasley's arrival until he shouted a greeting at them.

"Good evening!" Everyone at the table looked at him. "Well, er, that's better, isn't it? You lot are so involved in your food I don't think dungbombs would've disturbed you. Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm home. You can go back to your eating now."

They nodded at him, Charlie and Harry giving a quick greeting in return, before returning to their food. They continued to eat in silence, deciding that food was more important currently. After they had all eaten their fill, the group headed to the living room to sit down in front of the fireplace. (There was no fire, however, because the summer had been dreadfully hot, and didn't seem to be cooling down at all, even though it was almost August.) Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ron and Harry talked amongst themselves about what would be happening over the course of the summer.

"Well, Harry dear, I do have a bit of news for you. You're not actually going to be staying here for the entire summer. One week after your birthday you're going to return to Hogwarts early, so that Professor Snape can continue with your Occlumency."

"What's the point in that?" Harry asked miserably. "Sirius is already dead, what good can it do now? I know, I know, it's for my own protection. Sorry to interrupt…"

Mrs. Weasley continued after patting Harry on the back. "Don't worry dear, it won't be as bad as all that. Professor Snape will be there to help, regardless of what happened last time in your sessions. Dumbledore has made it quite clear that he is to continue with these lessons, no matter what transpires. And that won't be the only training you'll be getting. There's a new Defense professor, and he'll be training you in some advanced magic that most don't learn at all." Here Mrs. Weasley left off, and Mr. Weasley took over.

"And in addition to Occlumency, Professor Snape will also be assisting you in your Potions studies. Dumbledore has asked him to help you with this because he feels that you'll progress in your studies much quicker without a classroom full of other students to disturb your work."

"Like Malfoy…" muttered Harry.

"What was that?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Oh, nothing. Just imagining how much fun it will be to be locked away in Hogwarts with Snape all summer and some teacher I don't even know. Fantastic."

Mr. Weasley smiled kindly at him. "Don't worry about it, Harry. It'll be fine. Three weeks will go fast enough, and before you know it everyone will be back, and Quidditch will be on again. Speaking of which, you'll have everything with you when you go back to Hogwarts, so whenever you have some free time you can just go out for a quick spin on the Quidditch pitch."

Well," said Harry slowly. "I guess if I can play Quidditch then it won't be so terrible. So when am I going to get my things from Diagon Alley?"

"We can go anytime you want, dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "I'd like to wait until after your birthday, but we'll still have a whole week to visit. You can pick the day if you'd like."

"That sounds good, Mrs. Weasley. I'll let you know what day I'd like to go."

* * *

The next two days flew by, and before Harry knew it, it was his birthday. He woke up on the morning of the 31st to see Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, Charlie, and Hermione lining the walls of the room. As soon as his eyes were open he saw them start to reach behind their backs. Before he could get his wand out he was pelted by multiple pillows from all directions.

"Quit it!" he shouted.

"Quidditch?" asked Fred.

"I think that' what he said," said George. "Lets it him with some more pillows."

"Noooooo!" Harry cried out from underneath all the pillows. "Enough already!"

And suddenly there was nothing being thrown at him. He pushed a pillow off of his head and looked cautiously out at his friends. The second he caught Fred and George's eyes they threw more pillows at him.

"Alright!" proclaimed George.

"I think our work here is done," concluded Fred. And with that everyone except Ron and Hermione walked out. They sat on the edge of Harry's bed and smiled at him.

"Hey Hermione. I'm glad you could come to visit."

"Me, too," she said with a large smile. "I've been wondering how you've been over the summer. Your letters never seem to say very much, just a quick hello, how are you sort of thing. So Harry, how are you, really?"

"I…" he stuttered for a moment. "I'm okay, I think. It was really bad at first, like nothing in the world seemed to matter, but just being here has helped a lot. I think it'll keep getting better, but for now… for now let's just let it go, ok?"

Hermione and Ron smiled at him and nodded. "Mum's got breakfast set out, so let's go eat, and then you can open your presents."

Harry nodded, and waited for them to leave the room before he got dressed for the day. When he got to the kitchen he sat at the table and immediately Mrs. Weasley placed a full plate of food in front of him. He hadn't felt very hungry when he woke up, but seeing the food in front of him suddenly made him ravenous. He ate with gusto, and when he had finished his second helping he finally pushed his plate aside. He walked into the living room where everyone was waiting for him. He sat down in the middle of the floor and people just started pushing presents toward him. Hermione had, of course, gotten him a book (which reminded him to talk to her later about the other book that he had received over the summer) called Seekers: Past and Present. Ron had gotten him a large box of assorted candies from Honeydukes, which included Ice Mice and Chocolate Frogs. Fred and George had, of course, given him a wide selection of their products. When their mother was out of earshot they made him promise to put them to good use when he returned to Hogwarts. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had gotten him a thick new cloak, in a dark, blood red color, that closed with a silver clasp. Ginny had gotten him a new quill that was charmed so that only he could use it. If anyone else tried to use it, they would only be able to write their innermost secrets. Charlie's present was, of course, the best. The dragon keeper had brought him the talon of an Ukranian Ironbelly, one of the largest dragons in existence. Charlie had taken the talon and tied a thick black cord around it, making it into a necklace for Harry to wear. He put it on immediately and went to check himself out in the mirror. He was 16 today, and he looked cool.

Hey everyone, give me some feedback! I'd like to know what you think of this story. If you have any suggestions, my ears are open! And do you know what makes for a very happy author who posts often? Reviews!


	3. Meeting Aurora

First and foremost: to OniLion, you get a thousand cookies, for being my first reviewer.

Ok, ok, so me rushing to get a chapter out still takes a while. It's here though, so yay!

Meeting Aurora

With just two days left until it was time for him to return to Hogwarts, Harry decided that it was time to go to Diagon Alley to get his things. Mrs. Weasley had agreed to take him, as she had no pressing issues that day and she trusted her children to take care of themselves. They Flooed to their destination, and while Mrs. Weasley stepped out gracefully, Harry tripped on his robes and almost fell. He stood up and dusted himself off, looking to see if anyone had noticed him. No one had, and he hurried to catch up with Mrs. Weasley. They stopped first at Madam Malkin's, where he was measured yet again for new robes. In the time it took for the robes to be finished, the pair had managed to gather all the ingredients to restock Harry's potions supply.

Harry handed Mrs. Weasley the parcel of robes momentarily so she could shrink them down to the size of his other purchases. He then took the robes back and stuffed them into one of is pockets. Their final stop for the day was scheduled to be Flourish and Blott's. Harry took out his list of required books thatDumbledore had sent him,only to see many expected names.

_Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six _by Miranda Goshawk

_Advanced Transfiguration _

_Advanced Potions_

_Advanced Charms_

_One Thousand More Magical Herbs and Fungi, and How to Grow Them_

_Meditation for Beginners_

Harry was surprised to see a book about meditation on his list. It would obviously be used for DADA or Occlumency, or both. No one had received the results of their OWLs yet, so Harry could only presume he had passed with decent marks. He did not see a text for History of Magic on his list, and he wondered if it was because he did not receive enough OWLs or if it was due to the fact that he had mentioned at one point to Professor McGonagall that he didn't really like the topic. Either way, he reasoned, it meant that he might not have to take the course any longer. That was something to be hopeful about, even though it might not happen.

When he had picked up all his required books, he started looking for something that would be interesting if and when he had free time. He didn't want to think about the book Hermione had sent him. He had neglected to say anything to her, because in all honesty he had no idea what he would say. "So Hermione, do you think I'm a Dark wizard?" or "Hey 'Mione, why'd you want to help me become an evil genius?" didn't sound appropriate.

Unfortunately, Harry saw nothing on the shelves that looked terribly interesting. He walked to the end of the aisle he was in, and collided with someone coming from around the other side. They both tried to gain their balance before falling. Harry barely managed to do it without dropping his books, while the other person gracefully straightened. Raising his eyes he noticed that the person with whom he had collided was a girl. A very pretty girl, with long black hair that hung in loose curls. Her eyes were almost completely black, excepting for a small dot of that seemed almost to be a deep amethyst in the center. He tore his gaze from her eyes, remembering his manners.

'I'm so sorry about that, I wasn't watching my steps," said Harry plaintively.

"Well that's obvious. But it doesn't matter, no harm done. I'm Aurora." She stuck her hand out to him. He took it and instead of shaking it as he would normally have done he felt compelled to draw it to his lips and kiss her fingertips.

"I'm Harry." He looked at her, not recognizing anything about her. "Where do you go to school?"

She laughed, and it sounded like tinkling bells to Harry. "I'm at Durmstrang this year, though I used to live in America. I may transfer again next year, once father realizes what kind of a school he's sent me to. I have to leave, because I'm supposed to be meeting someone, but do you want to write to me this term?"

She seemed so brash, but it intrigued Harry. "Sure," he said quickly. "I guarantee if you send a letter with just my name on it, it'll find me."

"Why's that?" she cocked her head to one side with a curious glance.

"I'm Harry Potter. I don't mean to sound stuck up, but I do tend to get a lot of mail. And not all of it's very nice."

She laughed again. "Well, Harry Potter, I'll make sure to address it properly, but I can promise that it will be a nice letter."

And then she was gone. It was as if he had blinked and she had managed to vaporize in that instant. He looked wildly around the bookstore, but she was nowhere to be found. He dashed out to the street, but she wasn't in sight. He sighed, wondering if she was older, and therefore able to Apparate. It was possible, but he had no way of knowing.

He picked up the books he had left on the floor when he went to look for Aurora, and headed toward the counter to purchase them. Mrs. Weasley was waiting there for him, and when he had paid they left the store. She offered to take him to lunch, but he firmly stated that he was a gentleman, and that he would gladly pay for lunch. She started to object but Harry was already pulling her toward the Floo system.

"It's just a little bistro I know of. It's right near the Ministry, so it can't possibly be dangerous Mrs. Weasley." She groaned, but with a little more prodding she decided that it was alright. They had to walk a little bit to reach the little place, _Michele's_, but it was worth it. The food was good, and the service was better.

After eating they headed back to the Burrow, where Harry immediately went to his room to pack his purchases away. He lay on his bed, taking a breather before he went back down to the noisy family he had come to call his own. An image of Aurora was stuck in his mind. She was so pretty, but there was something about her that seemed almost familiar. He just couldn't place it, and that was what bothered him.

* * *

The next two days were filled with good food and lots of Quidditch. The time went by quickly for Harry, and soon it was the seventh of August. All of Harry's belongings were once again packed into his trunk, even his broom, which Mr. Weasley had shrunk until it was small enough to fit. Hedwig was on her way to Hogwarts, with instructions to go to the Owlery as soon as she arrived. Her cage was also stored in the trunk, as he had no use for it at the moment. 

The goodbyes went quickly, if a bit awkwardly. He gave all the Weasley men a pat on the back except Arthur, who would accompany him to the school. He gave Ginny and Hermione light hugs, but when he pulled away from Hermione he paused for a second to look into her eyes. He wanted so badly to ask about the book, but decided against it. Now was not the time.

He went to give Mrs. Weasley a light hug as well, but she pulled him into a crushing embrace. "If you need anything, Harry, anything at all, just owl, alright?"

He nodded, giving her a small smile. "Ok, Mr. Weasley. I'm ready when you are."

Mr. Weasley smiled, and told him to come outside. Once there, Mr. Weasley pulled a small light bulb from his pocket. Harry could barely see it because dusk was already beginning to fall. "Alright, Harry. Just let me change this into a portkey, and we'll be going. This will take us into Hogsmeade, and from there we'll just walk to the school. Of course they'll be expecting us, but you won't need to worry about anything tonight. Your lessons will start tomorrow, and tonight you can just get settled in to your room. Ready?"

Harry nodded as Mr. Weasley tapped the light bulb, muttering "_Portus_". The light bulb glowed blue for a second, and then Mr. Weasley held it out in Harry's direction so he could grasp on to it. He did, and in a matter of seconds he felt the familiar tug in his navel. Closing his eyes, he held on as tightly as possible.

When he opened his eyes again, they were in Hogsmeade, standing outside of the Post Office. He looked around for Mr. Weasley, but didn't see him. Something moved in the corner of his vision, and he turned to see what is was.

He saw a flash of black hair, and an unmistakably feminine figure. She looked very familiar…

"Aurora? Is that you?" Harry called into the distance, but the figure was soon out of sight, and it was too dark for him to want to chase after her. Harry turned at the sound of his name being called, and saw Mr. Weasley walking toward him.

"Sorry, Harry." Called Mr. Weasley. "I'm not sure what happened, but I landed over by the Three Broomsticks. No matter, as long as you're alright?"

Harry nodded. "Alright then, off to Hogwarts. Dinner will be served soon, wouldn't want you to miss that Harry."

They headed down the path to the castle. Mr. Weasley had his wand out, and was illuminating the path. Harry followed at a decent pace, but was continually looking around to see if he could see Aurora, or anyone, in the depths of the woods. He saw no one on the journey, and the idea was out of his mind by the time they got to the gates.

The gates opened to admit them with not a word spoken, and after a few minutes they were at the front doors. The doors, also, opened for them without a word, but this time Dumbledore was there to greet them. "Arthur, Harry! It's wonderful to see you here. I trust your journey was without trouble?"

"Of course, Albus. And how are you doing this hot, muggy day?"

"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine. Why don't you come in and have a bite to eat? The elves will get Harry's things to his room, and we can go have a nice sit-down and a cup of tea."

"I'm actually going to head back to the Burrow. Molly's making a great dinner tonight, wouldn't want to miss that. Harry, you'll be alright?"

"Yeah, Mr. Weasley. I'll be fine. Dinner sounds good to me right now."

Dumbledore smiled at Mr. Weasley and waved as he walked back to the gates. "Well, Harry. It would appear that you are trapped with me for a little while. Dinner won't be for another half an hour, so why don't we go and have some tea in my office?"

Harry nodded, and followed Dumbledore up to the stone gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle jumped aside without waiting for a password. Just as Harry was about to ask why no password was needed, Dumbledore spoke. "You know Harry, it's so empty in the summer. There are only a few teachers here, and the castle almost seems lonely some times. It's funny like that."

They had reached the top of the steps and entered Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster seated himself behind his desk, and Harry chose a seat near the fireplace. Just as Dumbledore had conjured the tea the fire roared to life with green flame. In it Harry saw Mr. Weasley's face. He was about to ask if everything was all right when Dumbledore spoke again.

"It's fine Arthur. The imposter has gone. He provoked no threat, and seemed to be eager to leave."

"Oh good. I was worried." Mr. Weasley turned his face to Harry. "You must be wondering what happened. You see, when we landed with the portkey I was attacked. You were hit with the full body bind and I was Stunned. I can only guess what happened from there. I'm just glad you're alright Harry."

Dumbledore picked up the conversation from there. "It is my guess, Arthur, that they took a few hairs from you and used a Polyjuice potion. As for Harry, I can only imagine that they Obliviated him, as they didn't stun him immediately."

"That's odd…" said Harry quietly. His thoughts were running to Aurora. When he had met her in the bookstore, it was as if she had disappeared. When he had landed in Hogsmeade he could have sworn that he had seen her. Odd things were just surrounding this girl, and he had only just met her!

"What's odd, Harry?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Harry looked up quickly at the old wizard.

"Just the whole situation. Why would someone want to impersonate Mr. Weasley just to escort me to the school? They didn't learn any important information, they didn't attack me, they didn't get into the school. What was the point?"

"Actually," said Mr. Weasley quietly. "I think they may have learned something from me. I remember being attacked and then I woke up here, at the Burrow that is. I must have been Obliviated as well, so there's no knowing what they learned. I'm sorry, Albus, truly I am."

"Arthur, don't worry about what happened. You had no control over the situation, and I expect that anything you may have told them could not have been that useful, at least not in relation to Harry. There may have been something about the Order that they learned, but as you are not the Secret Keeper, they still are unaware of our location. And as long as you are safe, there is no lasting harm done. You go and rest, eat some of Molly's delicious cooking. We'll talk more of this later."

Arthur nodded, said his goodbyes, and then his head was gone from the fireplace. Dumbledore finished pouring the tea that he had been interrupted from earlier. He handed Harry a cup and sat back in his chair.

Harry was wondering what Dumbledore would say. He worried that the Headmaster would feel he needed additional security. The last thing he needed was a bodyguard when there weren't even any other people in the castle, save his few instructors. He watched as Dumbledore leaned forward, preparing to speak. _Here it comes_, thought Harry.

Dumbledore spoke. "Would you care for a lemon drop, Harry?"

Yeah, so that took a while to get out. The next bit of plot is well-engrained in my mind, so it should come much more quickly. It should, key word.

Review!


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